


shadows

by mattapod



Category: Layton Kyouju Series | Professor Layton Series, None - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Christmas, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Healing, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-09-27 02:07:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17153276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mattapod/pseuds/mattapod
Summary: Sometimes, Katrielle wakes up and finds herself thinking of her father. Sometimes, Ernest notices. But rarely, either of them voices it.





	1. Chapter 1

Katrielle found herself in the same setting, chasing the same thing, desperately crying in her dreams again.

Her father was clouded by mist, a shadow receding, and was quick to disappear once Katrielle seemed like she reached him. The girl spun immediately, having long practiced chasing her father in her dreams. Just as she expected, her father’s hat disappeared the moment she saw it.

Katrielle felt a bead of water caress her cheek. 

It was her tears.

She blinked them away, feeling her feet pick up their pace. Her throat vibrated, indicating that she was now yelling.

_ It’ll be over soon _ .

Hershel Layton ignored her screams and continued.

He didn’t stop.

He kept walking.

And was then gone.

\--

“Miss Layton…? Are you alright?”

Katrielle snapped her eyes towards Ernest, remaining motionless. With a huge sigh, Katrielle slapped a smile on her face in seconds and stretched. Sherl apathetically averted his head away from Katrielle, his ears drooping in boredom.

“Ah, it’s so boring! I wish we would have a case soon…” The blue-eyed girl straightened up, heart pressing down on the melancholy that has plagued her since the morning. She planned to bear the burden alone. Not Ernest nor Sherl needed the heavy package, and Katrielle wouldn’t have been willing to share it to them anyways.

Ernest furrowed his eyebrows. He pursed his lips, studying his employer to the closest detail; even her rosy cheeks required analysis. Something was off, but Ernest couldn’t pinpoint it. He never could. This wasn’t the first time that Katrielle seemed a bit less bubbly than usual.

“Ernest, keep staring like that and your eyes will dry up. Am I  _ that _ entrancing?” Katrielle teased, a lopsided smile tugged at her lips. However, her eyes remained stoic.

The assistant blinked a few times before averting his eyes away. He felt a strange bubble of… of whatever feeling in his chest. It was almost as if Katrielle had just lost a loved one. Ernest sucked in a small but sharp breath. 

_ Oh. _

As Katrielle rested her chin on her hands, about to crash from boredom, Ernest saw a shadow of longing and desolation reflect off the window the girl was staring out of.


	2. autumn leaves

“Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey!” Katrielle yelled, loudly clapping her hands while walking towards Sherl. The old dog lifted an ear and opened an eye, but expressed no intention to move.

Katrielle stood silently, counting down ten seconds. Once the ten seconds were done, the girl snapped, looming over the old, apathetic dog. She reached for a book on the sofa and, without mercy, smacked Sherl over the ear. That, at least, made Sherl budge, even if it’s only a few centimeters away from the couch. Katrielle, having finished her job with Sherl, walked over to the window and pressed her palm onto it, craning her head to look at the pavement outside.

“Really? Was that  _ absolutely _ necessary?” Sherl groaned, sluggishly getting to his feet and sulking around. Ernest, having witnessed everything upon entering the room, chuckled good-naturedly.

“Miss Layton, your tea.” Ernest offered, setting the cups down on Katrielle’s table. The girl, however, seemed to have other things to do than sit around and drink tea.

“Ernest… ” Katrielle called, a mysterious grin creeping onto her features. The girl remained turned towards the windows. “Let’s go out for today. I need to pay a visit to Inspector Hastings.”

“Oh? What for?”

“The case of the phantom thief, Sein. He’s still hung up on that, that good ol’ inspector.” The brunette turned around to face Ernest, her arms spread in a flamboyant manner. “So, what’d you like? Want to come with me to get some fresh air, or would you like to coop up in here with this old-” Katrielle playfully gestured towards Sherl with her foot, “-dog?”

Sherl growled. “Will you please stop calling me old?”

Katrielle raised an eyebrow. “But that’s exactly what you are, isn’t it?”

A moment of silence passed between the girl and the dog before the latter huffed, climbing back to his place on the couch. Katrielle whined and shooed Sherl off the couch. Ernest glanced out the window, silently watching an autumn leaf drift down slowly, swaying as it fell.

_ It is quite nice out there…  _

“So!” Katrielle clapped, regaining Ernest’s attention. The boy smiled.

“I think I’ll come with you, Miss Layton.”

\---

Ernest watched Katrielle waltz around on the sidewalk, kicking up leaves as she went. Today, Katrielle seemed a lot less… grounded by her own thoughts. The girl seemed to be flying with excitement for something that Ernest just couldn’t pinpoint.

“Lady Katrielle, what might it be that you’re so ecstatic about?” Ernest asked, picking up pace to catch up with Katrielle.

“Ernest, look around.” Katrielle paused, “Don’t you think the way that the leaves fall makes one want to prance around? The red and the gold and the orange… It’s therapeutic to just look at and much more sanative to be able to touch it.”

As the words left her mouth, Katrielle reached out and caught a falling maple leaf out of the air. She rubbed her thumb over it, a content yet somber smile gracing upon her lips. The brunette spun towards Ernest, holding out the beautifully colored leaf. 

The things running through both of their minds, at that moment, were the same, but yet completely different.

Katrielle held out the leaf, her mind’s eye watching her ten-year old self doing the same to her father. She smiled wryly as she saw her father pluck the golden leaf out of her tiny hands. She kept up her smile as the memory faded and she was left with nothing but stabbing melancholy.

Ernest took the leaf out of Katrielle’s fingers, a grin spreading on his face. He imagined Katrielle as a child, doing the same to her father. A sudden warmth spread throughout his body as imaginary Katrielle hugged her father’s legs, being that she could only reach his legs.

To Ernest, the leaves were all elements of nostalgia.

To Katrielle, the autumn leaf was nothing but a receding, fading image of a top hat.


	3. strawberry shortcakes and sweet cherry pies

“After all, we are talking about his dear daddy. No matter how long they are apart, there is no way to forget.”

Ernest perked up, a frown coming upon his features at Katrielle’s glistening eyes. That was…   


\---  


The sour smile would never leave his head. It had plagued Ernest’s mind since long after they solved that case, and now that Katrielle’s received a lead from Rosa, the somber expression became more prominent than ever. 

Katrielle hadn’t been sleeping well. No matter how happy she acts, Ernest could tell, from all the little actions to her daily expressions, that his beloved employer wasn’t as well as she claimed. 

In the past week, Katrielle didn’t tease Sherl as much as she had done before.

Yesterday, Katrielle forgot to turn off her office’s lights. 

This morning, she left her tea untouched and only drank it when it ran cold. 

Ernest felt he had to do something. It pained him to see Katrielle so focused and apathetic. He just wanted her to be happy. 

\--- 

“Ernest, what’s the occasion? You’re never this eager to go to Lipski’s shop,” Katrielle commented, brushing her hair onto her back, “And it’s about to rain. Ernest, you really pick the worst times to go out!” 

Ernest smiled, poking Katrielle. “The fact that it’s about to rain is exactly why it’s better to go out now. We can peacefully enjoy the goods inside, while chaos is happening outside.” The assistant pushed into the shop, holding the door for Katrielle like a true gentleman would. 

Katrielle sucked in a huge breath, closing her eyes to enjoy the scent of baked goods. She glanced towards Ernest, who had made his way to the counter already. Was he always this gentlemanly? 

Ernest waited until Katrielle caught up with his, putting her hands on the glass display. He silently hoped he wouldn’t screw this up. Impersonating Hershel Layton was not something that Ernest was familiar with. 

“Lady Layton, which cake do you think we should get?” Ernest asked, dark irises peering at Katrielle out of the corner of his eye. 

“Hmm… I don’t know, Ernest. Everything just seems so good!” Katrielle put her hands together and straightened up to look at Ernest, anticipating his choice. 

“How about this, Miss, that we choose the most popular cake in this shop?” Katrielle’s heart stopped beating for a split second. A wave of nostalgia washed over the brunette at Ernest’s words, and it made her wonder if he was doing this on purpose. There way only one way to find out, was there? 

“So, in theory, the cherry pie there,” Katrielle pointed to the pie at the center of the display, “Because it’s at the direct center?” Her words elicited no response from Ernest, but instead a small grin. _She caught on._

“That… would be incorrect, Miss. Look behind the counter.” Ernest waved at Aleks Lipski, signalling him to open the fridge in the back.

“After all these years, the most popular cake is still the strawberry shortcake?” Aleks Lipski scooped out three cakes from the fridge. “Of course, Miss Katrielle. Our strawberry shortcake is very good, you know?” The baker handed a box to Ernest and Katrielle, nodding to the two. “My treat.” 

Ernest thanked the baker, turning back to Katrielle. He held out his arm, and for the first time, Katrielle noticed and took it. “Shall we head back, Miss?” 

With a last glance at the exact spot her father stood, the detective nodded and started out. 

\---

Katrielle stared out the window, the reflection of London rain glistening in her eyes. She finished her strawberry shortcake while waiting for Ernest to come back with some tea. 

For some reason, she's started to enjoy Ernest’s company a little more.


End file.
